“How long would it take to improve my Google search ranking?”

It’s a common question presented in the world of Search Engine Optimization. We live in the age of instant gratification, and as great as it would feel to see your Google search ranking skyrocket overnight, that’s just not how SEO works.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by SEO. A simple component of a successful digital marketing strategy becomes a dreadful task – one that you can’t measure quickly enough.

“It’s been a month, and I’m still not seeing results.”

SEO is an art more than a science, making it difficult to nail down exactly when you’ll see results. Google is constantly tweaking search algorithms, making it impossible to take short cuts through the system.

If you look at the big picture, improved search ranking is not simply an outcome; It’s a process. Being patient is absolutely necessary, because I can tell you this much: it’s going to take well over a month to see any genuine progress.

This is particularly true if your website is new. Studies show that a mere 5.7 percent of web pages ranked #1 during their first year. The average top-ranking pages were approximately three years old.

“Why can’t I see instant results?”

Good things take time, effort, and dedication. You have to consistently create and produce useful content to stay relevant on search engine sites. Google rankings are also based on site traffic, which, again, takes time to acquire. Make the necessary updates to your site in order to help your target audience find you, and then you’ll see an increase in traffic. Once your website traffic increases, you will start to see your ranking rise.

If you must have an answer:

At least 4 to 6 months of steady SEO is required to improve your rankings, and I say this loosely. It could take more or less time depending on your website strength, competition, budget and several other variables.

Rather than getting frustrated about the amount of time it takes to earn results, let it inspire you to get started! The longer you put it off, the longer it’ll take for your ranking to improve.